Valentine’s Day is just a week away, and if you can’t get a reservation or you’re one of those people who prefers a low-key romantic evening at home and you don’t want to cook, I have the answer. It’s the new third-party restaurant delivery service in Greenville called Takeout Pros.

Owner Nate Simmons, a native of Duplin County and graduate of Appalachian State University, has more than 10 years experience in the restaurant takeout service industry. Just last year, Simmons opened a branch of Takeout Pros in eastern North Carolina to be closer to his family. Greenville is known to have one of the highest number of restaurants per capita in the state, so settling his new business in Greenville was an easy decision. His business model is simple. He wants to bring you your favorite restaurant food in a timely, friendly and easy way, because you have better things to do. He also wants you to spend more time with family and less time in front of the stove or in line at a restaurant.

Here is how Takeout Pros works: First go online or use the mobile-friendly app. Enter your ZIP code, address and delivery time, pick a restaurant, order from the interactive menu, pay and leave the rest to the professionals. Food usually arrives within 30-60 minutes.

Takeout Pros can help with grocery deliveries, too. You can order basic groceries like milk, bread, butter, sandwich meat and bacon. This is a perfect option for those who are home sick or recovering from surgery or even that new mom who needs a little extra help.

Restaurants that are partnered with the business can set their own minimums, with the majority of them requiring a $10-$20 food order minimum.

I used the website via my laptop to place my order. Before I decided what I wanted, I enjoyed being able to view menu items while surfing through the easy-to-navigate website with no lag-time. Many of the menus have pictures you can click to see what the meal will look like when it comes to your door. For my taste test, I decided to sample some menu items from Angus Grill in Winterville. I ordered a Chicken Club Ranch sandwich, a tossed house salad and BBQ Double Bulldog Burger.

I placed my order at 6:12 p.m. and within a couple of minutes, received an email saying my order was being processed and that Maddison would be my delivery person. Takeout Pros gives you an estimated time of arrival and has a fun-to-use delivery tracker that you can watch in real time. Orders usually take between 35 and 50 minutes, depending on where you live and how much food you’re ordering. My estimated time of arrival was between 6:53 and 7:02 p.m. Within 10 minutes, my driver arrived at the restaurant. My food arrived at my door at 6:45 p.m, almost 10 minutes early. My delivery person was courteous, and my food arrived hot and still presented well when I opened the takeout boxes. Everything was fresh and all extra side dressings, napkins and packets of ketchup were included.

Overall, the experience went well, and I recommend trying this service for yourself. Make sure to tip the drivers, who use their own cars and pay for their own gas. Takeout Pros charges a customary 5 percent service fee to cover processing fees. Some restaurants require charges up to 25-35 percent to cover the costs of this service. The website will show you all charges before you place the order.

If you are having dinner with several friends and need to make multiple payments, Takeout Pros can accommodate up to 10 different payments in one order. The business offers advance order placing and accepts credit cards as well as cash.

There is also program called ProBucks to help you earn money toward your next order with Takeout Pros. Here is how it works: Once your food is delivered, take a photo before taking a bite. Upload the photo on either the website tracker page or the mobile app. If the photos are high enough quality, Takeout Pros will upload them on its social media sites and use them on the restaurant online menus. For every photo of yours that is used, you get $1 in ProBucks to use on a future order.

Restaurants that would like to partner with Takeout Pros may visit TakeoutPros.com or call 762-3289. To try out Takeout Pros for yourself, use coupon code HOTDISH on your next order and get a free delivery. This offer expires April 1. To learn more, go to the website www.takeoutprosgv.com.

Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse, 720 S.W. Greenville Blvd., is introducing Wild West Wednesday. Get an 8-ounce sirloin steak with two sides for $9.99. The restaurant also will offer a Valentine’s special from Friday through Feb. 16. Dinner for two is $36.99 and includes a shared appetizer and choice of two entrees and two sides. Restaurant hours are from 4-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays. The restaurant will open for lunch at noon on Valentine’s Day. Call 353-7427.

Chili cookoff

The eighth annual Heat to Defeat ALS Chili Cookoff will be held Sunday at Christy’s Euro Pub, 301 S. Jarvis St. The event is a benefit for the ALS Association. Entry fee is $20, and the tasting fee is $8. The tasting begins at 4 p.m. Cash prizes will be awarded. For more information, email martocciar@ecu.edu or search for Heat to Defeat ALS on Facebook.

Humans of Greenville

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